"Now _stay_ there, Patty; don't jump down when you hear us greet Uncle Fred in the hall." "I won't," said Patty, "I'll stay," and in another minute the carriage drove up, and Patty heard her father's voice greeting Aunt Alice and her cousins, and then saying, "But where's Patty?
Where's my girl ?" "Here, papa," cried Patty, mindful of her promise to sit still, but unable to resist calling to him, and then Mr.Fairfield hurried into the parlor and saw his pretty daughter enthroned to welcome him.
But at sight of his dear face, Patty _couldn't_ sit still, and she flew out of her chair and was in her father's arms before he was half-way across the room.
Nobody minded, however, for there was such a chattering and laughing and frolicking as you never saw, and all the time Mr.Fairfield kept his arm around his little daughter as if he would never let her leave him again.
"But don't think your beautiful work isn't appreciated, my boy," he said to Frank, as Patty called his attention to the cleverly constructed throne, "indeed, I think now is the time to put it to use," and Mr.Fairfield seated himself in the big chair and drew Patty down upon his knee.
Then Frank led off in three hearty cheers for Uncle Fred and Patty, and the Elliott family joined in with a will.
And what a merry, happy Thanksgiving-day they had on the morrow! Patty's pies were praised until the little maid blushed at the compliments she received.
It was late in the afternoon before father and daughter found an opportunity for a little talk by themselves; and then Patty told of her love and admiration for Aunt Alice, and her great desire to spend the rest of her life in Vernondale.
"For you see, papa," she said, "Aunt Alice is the only one of my aunts who has a sense of proportion, and she certainly has.

She is rich, but she doesn't talk about it like Aunt Isabel's people; she reads, and knows a lot about books, but she doesn't seem to think there's nothing else in the world _but_ books, as Aunt Hester's family does; and as for the Hurly-Burly people, they're lovely in some ways,--but, after living with Aunt Alice, I couldn't stand their forgetfulness and carelessness.

And then, Aunt Alice has everything in her life, and not too much of anything either.

We children have lots of fun and good times, but we have to work some, too.
And Aunt Alice teaches us to be kind and polite without making any fuss about it.

And she does beautiful charity work, and she's so happy and sweet that everybody loves her.